Selecting Files based on content value

[tbohon]

I have a directory with perhaps 1000 files and I need to copy only those containing the value Med Admin Rpt to a different directory. Have tried several things and they aren't working - and, of course, the boss is asking me for my progress every 15 minutes.

Help???

Tnx.

Tom

"My mind is like a steel whatchamacallit ...

 

[vgersh99]

#!/bin/ksh
for file in *
do
   [ grep -q 'Med Admin Rpt' "${file}" 2>/dev/null ] && cp "${file}" /path/to/different/directory
done

vlad
+----------------------------+
| #include<disclaimer.h> |
+----------------------------+

 

[tbohon]

Doesn't seem to work. Script executes just fine but nothing is copied. I've double-checked the Med Admin Rpt and that is exactly the phrase they want selected ... ???

"My mind is like a steel whatchamacallit ...

 

[columb]

To make the script easier to debug try

#!ksh 
fof file in *
do
  echo testing $file
  if grep -q 'Med Admin Rpt' $file
  then
    echo 'Med Admin Rpt' found in $file
    cp $file /path/to/different/directory
  fi
done

When you've got it workign you can comment out the echoes.

Ceci n'est pas une signature
Columb Healy

 

[tbohon]

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

"My mind is like a steel whatchamacallit ...

 

[macd68]

Alternative, for a more diverse/general purpose search..

function find_and_copy() {
STRING=${1:?"Please specify a search string."}
DIRECTORY=${2:-$PWD}
DESTINATION=${3:-/tmp/found}


[ ! -d "$DESTINATION" ] && mkdir $DESTINATION

for a in `find $DIRECTORY -type f -exec grep -l $STRING {} \;`
do
    cp -p $a $DESTINATION 2>/dev/null || echo "Could not copy matching file $a to $DESTINATION"
done
}

HTH